Creepers Lost Love
by ninjalady6969
Summary: Alice is a lonely girl whose whole world is turned upside down after being taken from her home by the Creeper. Will Alice survive or will she become the Creeper's next meal?
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction ever so please review and let me know how I'm doing. I'll try to get at least one chapter out a week. I would love to know how everyone is enjoying the story! :)

Update: My story got deleted so I re-uploaded! My apologies...

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I turned off the television, annoyed and saddened by all the reports of missing persons. There were too many to count and nothing was being done about the situation. Ever since the discovery of hundreds of bodies in the burned down church, everyone has been even more fearful than before. I was lost in my thoughts wondering when, or if, I would go missing. Which left me to wonder, _who would notice?_ I have no family or friends, only coworkers who pay me no mind. I have my cat though, who seemed to be a little more wired up than usual. Doodles, a white Persian, loved making a scene when she was hungry, though this was different. She was circling by the front door crying loudly. My guess was that she could sense the incoming storm. I usually had the door cracked for her to go outside but due to the insane winds, I decided to keep it closed for the night.

Sighing, I stood up from the couch and walked to my kitchen, the floorboards creaking beneath me. I glanced at the clock only to find a measly thirty minutes have passed since I got home from work.

_I could still be at work though_, I reminded myself. I hated my job as a cashier at the local grocery store, so home was better for now. I had a spur of the moment decision last week to hand in my two weeks notice. I didn't need the money anyways, I just became bored staying home all day. It was going to be nice to start traveling again, though I hated flying. Heights are my biggest fear.

Once I scanned the fridge for anything I could make for dinner, I decided just to settle on leftover spaghetti. "Shit," I cried, as I realized I spilled sauce down the front of my shirt while I was transferring a scoop onto a plate. I started the microwave and bundled up the front of my shirt in an effort to keep the sauce from spilling onto the floor.

There was suddenly a loud banging in the front hall and I realized Doodles had stopped her endless meowing and was now atop her climbing structure, staring at the door as if waiting. I walked to the front hall and noticed the front door was wide open and the screen door was crashing into the outside wall.

_I must have left the front door open out of habit_, I thought. It was already pouring outside, creating a lovely mess of mud in my driveway. I loved the rain at least. I reached outside to close both doors, deadbolting each. I still held my shirt bundled up, so I walked to my room and changed my shirt. As I was changing, I noticed smeared mud on my rug in the center of the room. I checked my shoes.

Clean.

I shrugged it off as it may have been Doodles tracking it in and wiped it up with a tissue. I tossed my dirty shirt into the trash bin, not caring to save it, and left the room to return to the kitchen. My spaghetti was done in the microwave so I sat down to eat at the dining table, only to hear creaking coming from the direction of my room, as if someone were walking down the hall. I took caution and quickly grabbed a knife from the knife block on the counter, not paying attention to which one I grabbed.

The footsteps were slow and heavy, as if purposefully arriving as slowly as possible. My mind flashed to the missing people. Could this be the person who was causing all the disappearances? I was next unless I fought back. I crouched in the corner of the kitchen farthest away from the entrance, hoping the table was enough to cover me. I glanced over towards where Doodles last sat but she was nowhere to be seen. The footsteps grew closer and I could hear the intruder huffing as he walked. It was a strange sound, somewhere between a sniff and a growl. I had to be brave, though bravery wasn't going to win me the fight, strength was and I was lacking in that department. I was thinking of ways to overpower the intruder when I saw a figure slowly emerge from the hallway into the lighted kitchen.

It was horrifying, manlike in appearance but clearly not. The skin was a wet grey, almost reptilian, with wide enchanting eyes, blue as a lagoon. His mouth was pulled into a wide grin showing his huge pointed teeth. He was wearing a tattered trench coat and large black boots as well as a black cowboy hat that shadowed his face in a terrifying fashion. His features struck more fear in me than I have ever felt, though I tried not to let fear be my ruling factor. I needed to be brave. If the creature was there to kill me, I was going to fight back.

He stood unmoving, only sniffing the air between us in a very disgusting manner. It was as if he was searching for something. Something to eat perhaps? I was breathing erratically trying to calm myself, when he stopped his strange act. The creature shifted towards me, as if to test my reaction time. I jumped in response, letting out a small scream of terror. I finally broke the silence and cried out, "What do you want?"

He huffed and began sniffing the air again, this time with more angst. I knew for sure that I was going to be his dinner. I trembled at the thought and decided to take action. If I was fast enough I would have had no trouble getting at least one good slice in with the knife. Ready for action, I looked down at the knife in my hand and realized I had grabbed the bread knife.

_Great, what am I supposed to do with a bread knife? _I thought. In that moment of looking away from the creature, he was suddenly closer, though he only closed half the distance. He stood just on the other side of the kitchen table. I looked at him, now wondering why he wasn't killing me, was he just toying with me?

His intense eyes had changed since first seeing me. What were once menacing were now displaying the look of yearning, though more remorseful than anything. He no longer smiled nor showed his teeth. I still sat there, wide eyed, staring at the monstrosity, waiting for my fate. His breathing was turning into a soft purr, while mine accelerated. That moment was my chance. I started to stand, holding my knife up, prepared to defend myself. The creature showed a small smile and stepped towards me.

I sliced at him, trying to use the serrated edge to my advantage. In a flash, he grabbed the blade in his hand, crushing the metal, and yanking the object away from me. He tossed the knife to the floor, it was covered in a black liquid. Blood?

I screamed and tried to run only to be blocked by his arms on either side of me. I turned towards the counter, facing away from the monster and attempted to climb up to get out the window but to no avail. He wrapped his arms around me tightly from behind and lifted me from the floor. The toes of my shoes were scraping along the floor as he walked towards the front door. I was frantically searching what I could see of my house and saw Doodles calmly sitting in the corner of the living room, once again perched on her play structure, bathing herself. I was curious as to why she was ignoring a clear danger. The creature unlocked my front door and kicked the screen out. The rain was still coming down heavily. I was carried across my porch, still screaming, upset at the fact I had no nearby neighbors. Over the sound of the storm, I heard the tearing of fabric as the creature ran quickly down my driveway and suddenly we were airborne.

_Holy shit, he has wings_, I thought, as I heard the flapping sound. I squeezed my eyes shut so I wouldn't see the fields flying by underneath me. I realized the speed of the air flowing into my face was making it hard for me to breath. I was gasping for breath, secretly hoping this would be the end of me. The creature must have noticed and flipped me around so I was huddled against his massive body, making it easier for me to breath. He smelled musty and was very warm. I tried to focus on my breathing, though I was very light headed and felt myself fading into darkness. As I succumbed to sleep, I heard a gentle, soothing purr emanating from the creature.

I woke up lying in a damp, cold room. I wondered how long I was out. My mouth was dry and my eyes were heavy. Looking around the room, I noticed the walls and floor were made from concrete. Hanging from the ceiling was a single lightbulb with a pull chain, dimly lighting the room. There were two doors in the room, one was small and wooden, the other was huge and metal with many locks all in locked position. I got up to examine the door, trying to move a couple of the locks but they felt as if they were welded in place.

"What the hell?" I murmured. Suddenly I heard the creaking of a door and realized I wasn't alone. I slowly turned around only to be face to face with the creature, who grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up, as if he were hugging me. He walked me through the room and out the entryway into a hallway. I put up a fight and screamed, knowing he was taking me to kill me. We rounded a corner into a bigger room with a metal table. Various chains were hanging off the sides, some clanking against the metal table legs. There was a tray a couple feet away from the table holding a dozen knives. The knives looked hand crafted from wood, no doubt very sharp. I turned my attention back to the table, only to realize it had a single occupant. What was clearly a human body was wrapped tightly in a sheet and bound with ropes. Blood soaked through staining the white fabric in what looked like the chest area, I gagged at the smell of decaying flesh and blood.

_Oh god, he is gonna kill me?_ I thought. I fought even harder, fearing what was going to ensue unless I could escape.

He took me to the opposite end of the room, passed the body, through another entry way, this time he flipped me towards him and held me close to his body smelling my hair. I was unable to see the room but the smell of death was much stronger here. I had a feeling that the room was even worse than the previous, but I was only left to my imagination which wasn't very soothing. As we passed through the room, his hot breath began to quicken on top of my head. Probably from imagining how he was going to kill me. I was shaking and crying, begging for a quick death. My throat was sore from screaming and my mouth was dry. I desperately needed water.

I could sense we left the room as the smell faded, then ascended a single flight of stairs into a warmer area of the facility. He walked me down a long hall and turned to open a door. Once through the door the creature stopped and held me in place. There were no bad smells here. In fact the air was not even damp anymore. He tried to set me on the floor but my knees collapsed. He caught me before I hit the ground, lifting me once more and setting me on what felt like a bed. I kept my eyes squeezed shut, scared to open them and be face to face with him again.

His clawed hand was combing through my hair, and he made a low huffing noise. I sat unmoving, trying not to make any noises hoping he would leave or just kill me quickly. I finally heard retreating footsteps and a door opening and closing again. I feared that he didn't leave and was still standing there in hopes that he would trick me. To my surprise, when I opened my eyes I was alone. I sighed in relief and adjusted to my surroundings.

The floors and walls of the room were made of panelled wood. Almost every inch of the walls were vastly decorated with various works of art. There was a huge bed with red blankets and pillows, accompanied with an intricately carved wooden headboard. On the opposite wall was an eight drawer vanity dresser with the same carvings as the headboard. There was a small desk huddled into a corner, home to various tools, all organized into separate bins. I stood from the bed to investigate the small door near the desk.

I turned the knob slowly and pushed the door open, relieved to find only a bathroom, complete with a shower, toilet, and sink. I ran to the sink and turned it on, waiting patiently, hoping for clean water. Clear water spouted out of the faucet. I sighed in relief and drank from my cupped hands. It tasted wonderful and soothed my sore throat quickly. I was surprised the creature had running water.

I closed the door as I stepped out of the bathroom only to stop dead in my tracks upon glancing upwards. The creature was back in the room, standing opposite of the bathroom door, staring at me as if waiting for my next move. Fear washed over me again as I took in his form. He was standing with no clothes this time except a pair of black jeans. I could see the ridges atop his head and the white hair flowing down his back. His massive wings were folded and tucked against his body. Now that his coat was gone, I saw that he was very muscular.

He was being very cautious around me, though I'm not sure why. I looked towards the exit door, which was wide open. It looked as if I could see natural light. Maybe we were in a house. The one window in the room was boarded off with wood planks and metal bars so I wasn't able to know for sure.

His gaze followed mine and he quickly stepped over to the door shutting it, then he hesitantly took a step towards me. My heart rate accelerated. I didn't have time to make it back in the bathroom so I moved into the corner of the room, taking a defensive position. He reached me only to hold his hand out towards mine. His hand was in a fist, holding something out for me to take, becoming insistent when I didn't instantly reach out for it.

I held out my hand under his with my palm facing upwards. He smiled and dropped a small silver item into it. Upon further examination, I realized it was a small locket.

"A locket?" I asked, my breath catching as I had thought the worst. At least it wasn't a finger.

"O-pen," came a gruff voice. I realized he had spoken and fear shuddered through me. My breathing decreased as he retreated back to stand near the door. I fumbled with the frail locket and finally opened the clasp. I was shocked to see my name carved into one side.

_Alice_.

On the other side the name _William_ was carved into the silver.

"That's my name," I whispered, unable to control my shaking voice. I thought that maybe it was some other person named Alice. It had to be. I had never seen the locket before. My thoughts turned to horror as I imagined him taking it from a dead girl with my name.

The creature huffed to get my attention.

"Look at painting," he grumbled, as he gestured above the headboard.

I hadn't noticed the painting when I was examining the room. It was of a male and female. The male was very handsome, with brown hair and familiar blue eyes. He was medium build with a very kind face. Next to him was a woman who looked exactly like me. Long wavy brown hair with chocolate eyes and slender build. Judging by the clothing they were wearing, the portrait had to be hundreds of years old. I was entranced and began moving towards the painting, ignoring my company in the room. I climbed on top of the bed to get a closer look at the wooden plaque on the bottom edge of the frame. Etched into the wood in amazing detail was _William Ward & Alice Clarke, 1349. _She even had the same last name as I had as well.

"Alice?" I whispered, puzzled as to what I was seeing. I quickly turned my head back towards the creature, with a bit more courage, "this looks like me! Is this one of my relatives?" I asked.

He shook his head and said, "it's you."

I turned back to the painting in disbelief, examining more closely, seeing the woman wearing the same locket I was holding in my hand. "This is not me," I settled, then I began to wonder who the man was. I knew his name but nothing else, it was rather mysterious. I looked at the monster once more, he had a look of hope.

"Who is the man? This man is named William but I have never met him, nor do I remember ever having this locket or having a painting done. So I have a distant relative that you are obsessed with? Is that why you aren't killing me?" I inquired. He sighed as if annoyed. I climbed down from the bed, somehow completely calm. I didn't sense any danger, though I still feared the unknown. I retreated back to my corner and sat on the ground waiting for an explanation.

"Old-painting, like me," he said in his deep, raspy voice.

I rolled my eyes, "I got that, the date is on the plaque. I just want to know who the man is. Why is the painting so important?"

"It is you and it is me," he grumbled in his raspy voice.

I was confused, "Sorry but that isn't you. He looks normal, you don't. You do not look like that. What are you anyway?" I noticed that I was raising my voice. He let out a defeated sigh and moved towards me.

I stood up and shouted, "no do not come near me!"

He ignored me, scooping me up and laying me on the bed. His body was hovering over mine. I didn't move as I knew my fights against him didn't work. His intense blue eyes stared into mine and I felt no danger. For an odd reason, I felt relaxed, my breathing slowed and I stopped trembling. His soft purr began to radiate through my body forcing me to let out a shudder. He had a look deep in his eyes, as if he had finally found something he had been searching for for a very long time. Triumph.

He then lifted his hand to caress my face, being gentle as he stroked my cheek. I was confused as to what was happening. Was he going to eat me? Maybe he was going to let me go? I hoped he would let me go, though I also had a strange feeling of belonging.

I closed my eyes and within seconds, his lips were on my neck. I waited for my death but I felt no pain. His lips were moving in a gentle manner, planting soft kisses along my collar bone.

_Holy shit_, I thought, _what the hell is happening?_

I wanted to push him away but I couldn't due to my arms being pinned. I had a feeling that even if my arms weren't pinned, I wouldn't protest. I felt an odd sensation running through me, starting in my abdomen and slowly spreading to the tips of my fingers and toes. It was numbing. He tore my shirt off my body, and I cried out as his mouth found my breasts.

"Stop!" I shouted. He ignored my cry, instead removing my pants, leaving me only in my underwear. _Am I about to lose my virginity to this monster? _I thought.

I was suddenly aware of the fact that his jeans were no longer on him, showing off his large erection. I felt my face turn red as embarrassment flushed over me. I had never seen male genitalia before, except in health books. This was an odd first time for me.

I was laying perfectly still wishing for this whole ordeal to be over with and confused as to why my body wasn't protesting anymore. I was interrupted by a soft broken voice at my ear saying, "Love me."

I felt remorse in the moment and I had no clue what to do. I was beyond confused at this point. Why wasn't he killing me? Was he really this William person from the painting? Why is he forcing me into sex?

"You want me to love you?" I asked, shocked. I looked into his eyes again. They were so enchanting, mesmerizing.

What happened next surprised me. He kissed me on my lips, tenderly and pulled away gruffly saying, "I love you."

"Why?" I questioned. He is a monster and I am a human. In no logical way should any of this be happening. "You kidnapped me and expect me to love you. You are a monster. In no way am I ever going to love you." I know it was harsh but it was true.

He looked at me sadly and said, "You are _my_ Alice," glancing up to the painting above our heads. I was beginning to think he was crazy, how in the hell was that him in the painting?

"It's not me," I whispered. "It can't be me. Just let me go."

He shook his head and continued kissing me. Once again, I didn't protest. I knew he was going to have his way with me whether I liked it or not. It was strange how he kissed me. It was too tender to be from a monster, and he was treating me like a lover more than a meal. He tore my underwear off and I knew it was happening. I had never had sex so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was just waiting for the pain.

He trailed his hand down towards my bottom and grabbed my hip while aligning the tip of his erection with my opening. The stimulation made me shudder and I felt the churning in my abdomen again.

Are you really giving into this? I thought. I wasn't able to dwell on the question I asked myself. I felt a sharp pain as he pushed slowly into me. My wincing made him stop and he quickly looking up at me, examining my face.

"Don't stop," I said. It felt too good at this point, why stop now? Smiling, he pushed in all the way and began pumping in and out. What was left of the pain faded and turned into an overload of pleasure. I felt moisture building up as he went faster and soon I smelled blood, showing proof of my lost virginity. I was moaning along with his grunts and felt myself slowly coming undone. I was able to move my arms now and wrapped them around him. I felt his wings on his back, trailing my fingers along the sides of them. There were perked out a bit as if tensed up. His hands wrapped tighter around my body and he let out a small growl, becoming more rough. In response, my legs wrapped around him, pulling him in closer.

_Why am I doing this?_ I wondered._ Why does it feel so good? _I knew it was wrong. In the moment I didn't care about right or wrong. He let go of me and leaned up to stare into my eyes, still pumping in and out of me. When his eyes met mine, they grew more intense, as if sensing that my orgasm was building. He bent down to kiss my neck again, making me moan in the process. I felt as if I were under a spell, as if _he_ put me under a spell. Without thinking, I began matching his movements. I could tell he liked that as he picked up the pace. I felt my insides tightening as I came around him.

"William!" I moaned out, shocking both him and myself. He came right after me, flexing his wings backwards. I felt a burning rush inside me, that was both uncomfortable and soothing. The feeling faded in just a few seconds leaving me in bliss.

We stayed in position, staring at each other for a few minutes. I didn't know how to respond to my actions, I felt as if I were no longer under a spell. I slowly came back to reality, saying, "I gave you what you wanted, now kill me."

"You remembered," he argued, "you said my name."

I thought back to our previous conversation and rolled my eyes, "that's not you. Now leave me alone. Let me go. Please."

He growled and pulled himself out of me, leaving me lying naked on the bed. I quickly pulled the blankets over my body. He headed for the door, snatching his jeans harshly off the floor. Before he left, he turned towards me and said gruffly, "You will remember. I promise." He then slammed the door, leaving me with my thoughts. I thought I heard the sound of a lock but I could have been mistaken.

Once I was sure I was safe, I leaned back into the bed, hating myself. "What were you thinking?" I thought outloud. As I layed in bed, I had an overwhelming sense of peace wash over me. I felt myself drifting off to sleep very quickly. I had no need to fight the sleep. My only hope was to never wake again.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke to find myself drenched in sweat, having to pull away the strands of my hair that were plastered to my forehead. I was also feeling a bit nauseated, most likely from the fact that I hadn't eaten anything for at least a day. Somehow, I needed to get food into my system.

Moving the covers from over me, I realized I was still naked. My face flushed red as I remembered the previous night. I was hoping the whole ordeal was just a hellish nightmare.

_Maybe today he will just kill me since my hope to die in my sleep didn't work out_, I thought. Then I began to wonder, _I hope he didn't come watch me while I was sleeping!_ The thought of him doing so made me shudder.

Once I finally pulled myself out the of bed, I knelt on the floor to find my clothes in shreds. Not only did he remove my clothing without permission, but he also destroyed them. I sighed and pulled the blanket around me to see if I could find anything else wear. I made my way over to the dresser and pulled out one of the drawers.

Rags.

The next few drawers were overflowing with tools making it difficult to open and close. Finally, I found one with some promise. There were several old t-shirts, most were just as shredded as my clothes. Many pairs of men's jeans that were way too large for me were shoved into the back of the drawer. Then I came across a large black piece of fabric that had no discernable shape until I began pulling it from the drawer. It was a large coat that buttoned up the front and was very long. Almost the same as the tattered trench coat the creature would wear but in way better shape. He probably wouldn't mind if I made a few modifications to it. After all, I couldn't just walk around naked.

I dragged the large coat over to the desk and began sifting through the tools I had available to me. I found scissors and began trimming the bottom of the coat so it would be knee length on me. I figured it may be easier to run in so I wasn't tripping on fabric. I chuckled at the thought of my death coming to me from a fatal trip instead of the creature.

I continued my work until my makeshift dress looked wearable, cutting the sleeves shorter. I slipped it on and tied an extra piece of fabric around my waist to add a makeshift belt. If I was going to die, I was at least going out in style.

As I was putting away the tools I used, I caught a glimpse of a small book that was at the bottom of the drawer. I pulled it out to discover it was a journal, a very old journal at that. The front cover was made of faded leather and the pages were yellowing. There was an audible cracking noise as I opened to the first entry. It was all in Latin. I flipped through the pages, but I was unable to find a single entry that was in English. I silently cursed myself for not taking any classes in high school or college to learn how to speak Latin. Who knew it would come in handy one day?

Just then I heard heavy footsteps from the hall outside the bedroom door. I stood from the desk, throwing the journal back into the drawer. The drawer jammed as I was trying to close it. I struggled to jam all the tools back inside but was unable to before the creature entered the room.

He scanned the room until he found me sitting at the desk, drawer half open to reveal I had found the journal. I tried to look as innocent as I could, but it failed. His eyes became angry and he came towards me, snatching his journal from my hand.

"Did you read?" He growled, grabbing my arm and pulling me from the chair. It hurt badly, as his clawed fingers dug into my skin.

"I couldn't understand it, I'm sorry, please let me go," I begged. I had begun to cry, "I'm sorry." I tried prying his hand from my arm, but he just held tighter. I could feel my arm was beginning to lose circulation and blood was coming from where his fingers dug in.

"Do not touch this, not for you," he grumbled, as his grip finally began to release on my arm. I didn't realize he had actually lifted me from the ground by the arm, until I found myself falling to the floor after he had completely let go. I stayed crumpled on the ground as he went through the drawers on the desk grabbing more journals I had yet to find. After he was done collecting his journals, he quickly left the room only to return within seconds.

His was back at my side seeming to have done a complete u-turn with his mood. He kneeled down next to me and put his hand on my wounds and made a grunt, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, you must forgive."

I flinched away from his touch, whispering, "Go away." I didn't want him anywhere near me. I didn't want him to touch me. I wanted to be left alone.

He seemed hurt at me asking him to leave, only responding with, "I will leave to bring you food. It will take one hour, please stay." I nodded in response, though I was already planning my escape. He slowly left the room looking back at me with remorseful eyes. The door was closed and once again, I heard the click of a lock.

I still lay on the floor, letting the circulation flow slowly back into my arm. Once I was able to stand I made my way to the bathroom to clean up my arm. There wasn't as much blood as I thought there was going to be so I just wiped off my arm and rinsed it with water. I wrapped a rag around my upper arm and tied it off. It fixed the small wounds for the time being.

I headed back out into the room and found my shoes towards the end of the bed. I slipped them on and stood by the door.

_Now we wait_, I told myself. I was hoping I could hear his departure or at least be able to wait long enough to tell when I would be able to attempt an escape. I stood silently, with my ear pressed up to the crack in the door when I heard what sounded like the flapping of wings. The sound grew quieter and disappeared altogether. I was certain I was alone, which meant I had an hour to find a way to escape.

I tested the door handle and of course it was locked. I needed to find a hammer so I turned towards the desk and began my search. I came out victorious and ran back to the door. I took my aim at the knob and swung. It connected with a loud bang, but the force wasn't enough to do any damage. I gripped the hammer tighter and swung with more strength, this time the knob clattered to the floor. I smiled.

It was a success.

I tore the door open and was met with the most beautiful sight.

There were windows. So many windows. I could see outside, it was beautiful.

Aside from the windows, I could see that I was in a small cabin of sorts, complete with a kitchen and living room. The kitchen floor was tiled and the walls made from wood panelling, which looked the same as the bedroom. There was a small fridge and even a stove and oven. I examined the living room which held more furniture with similar carvings in the wood as the furniture in the bedroom. The living room was made up of a warm color palette consisting of light blues. There were more old painting covering the walls. Who would have known the creature would have such good taste in decor?

Across the room from me was what looked like an entry door. Maybe it was my way out! I bolted across the room, reaching the door and trying to open it. The lock wasn't in place, though it seemed to be nailed shut from the outside. I pushed and pulled harder, putting all my weight into the door, hoping to be able to dislodge what was holding it in place. It wasn't working.

The windows were my next option for escape. I tested every single window I could only to find that none of them would open. They were all fixed windows, no sliding mechanisms.

Nothing.

I decided to break the glass. This had to work for sure, if not I would have to try to find the stairs to the basement. I didn't want to find out what he had in the basement. I didn't want to experience that awful smell again. I _had_ to break the glass. I made my way back into the bedroom to grab the hammer again, this time more confident in using it.

The glass seemed to be thicker so I wasn't sure if the hammer would work, but it was the best tool for the job. I swung the hammer over and over again at the glass. To my dismay, the hammer did not making any dents in the glass. It had to have been reinforced in some way. The hammer should have shattered it to hundreds of pieces. My thought now was that the creature made sure there was no way any of his victims could escape. The bedroom was an easy escape. He knew I could get out so he made sure I wouldn't be able to leave the house in the event I did break out of the bedroom.

"Oh god, I don't want to be stuck here forever!" I screamed out as I sunk against the wall. I cried as I tucked into myself, hugging my knees. I just wanted freedom. I wanted my house and my cat. I wanted food and I wanted my old room. I didn't want to be stuck with the creature prowling around me, scared that he may snap and kill me at any moment. I sat in my failure for what seemed like hours.

As I was wallowing in my own self pity, I remembered the basement. My only hope was in the basement. There had to be an escape route of some kind. I knew there was a door but it was welded shut, though there may be another entrance into the basement. Maybe another window?

I stood from my spot and wiped the tears from my face. I had to be brave. Bravery can go a long way in this situation. I was ready to face what was in the basement. I was ready for that smell again. Maybe if I was lucky, I would find an escape before I got to the room. I wandered back towards the bedroom, stopping at the door to look around. I didn't see any doors in sight though there was a short unlit hallway shrouded in darkness. I slowly took a few steps forward, searching the wall for a switch. I found one and flicked it on. I was met with a rusted metal door. I reached for the handle and turned. The door opened into a stairwell with blinding light.

I was instantly met with the horrid smell again. It was faint, though as I descended the stairs it grew stronger. The stairs creaked and groaned under my weight, allowing for an eerie atmosphere. I feared the creature would be back waiting for me, knowing I broke free of the bedroom. I could imagine him waiting around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, watching me. Smelling me. Ready to snatch me up to kill me and eat me.

My heart was beating faster as I reached the bottom, only to find I was alone. I needed to stop striking so much fear in myself.

The smell was almost unbearable now. It was not as strong as when the creature carried me through, but that may have been due to the fact that my face was smashed into his chest blocking most air. I decide to breath through my mouth, knowing damn well it wasn't going to help.

There was an entrance into another room roughly twenty feet from the bottom of the stairs. I still hadn't fully confirmed that I was alone so I crept along the wall, trying to decrease the sound of my shoes scraping across the concrete floor. As I reached the doorless entrance, two things became very clear to me. One was the source of the smell and two was what he didn't want me to see.

I stepped into horror. In the corner of the room to the right of me was a pile of shredded, blood stained clothing. In the opposite corner were rotting bodies with flies swarming around them. In the center of the room a workstation with more knives and tools. Another metal table with a victim wrapped and bound in a sheet. Blood was staining the head area and I began to wonder if the person even had a head anymore. Upon further examination of the room, I realized one of the walls in was partially covered in bodies. The bodies looked preserved, and very well at that, and stitched together. The men, women, and children on the walls looked as if they were sleeping, though they were very much dead.

I stood in horror and fascination, not believing what I was seeing. Suddenly the smell made my stomach churn and I vomited on the floor. Nothing really came up because of the lack of food, so I tried to calm myself.

"You know, I expected worse," I whispered to myself.

I decided to just head back upstairs and not even try to escape anymore. I backed away from the room, hoping one of the bodies wouldn't jump up and run after me. It was an irrational fear but at this point I would believe it. As I was walking backwards, I bumped into a solid form behind me.

Before I could turn to examine what it was, a large clawed hand wrapped around my neck throat. I was carried swiftly back in the bedroom and thrown on the bed. The force I was thrown at made me hit my head on the headboard becoming disoriented. I tried sitting up on my elbows only to be pushed back down yet again feeling a vice grip on my throat. The creature was in my face, smelling me up and down. I tried to struggle against him but I was too weak.

His features were full of anger, as if his mood from the previous night had been turned upside down. I could tell I wasn't going to survive this.

"Please let go," I struggled.

I could no longer breathe and I felt my body becoming numb.

"You were to stay!" he growled. "You weren't to go down there!"

"I'm sorry," I sputtered with the air I had left in my lungs. All my mind could think about now was my impending doom. I did wish to be dead earlier, but now that it was happening, I was terrified.

I gave up my fight because I knew at this point my death was going to be peaceful, as I couldn't feel much of anything. There was no reason to fight anymore. He didn't seem to be breaking from his anger and I was thankful for that. Death would be much better than living my life out with this monstrosity. I didn't want to be his, I didn't want him. I wanted a peaceful death and I was getting it. I looked into the creature's eyes as I was losing consciousness. A blue lagoon. My death would be like swimming through a blue lagoon.

"William," I choked out in a broken whisper. I wasn't sure why I said this name. Maybe it was my subconscious trying to save me one last time. Maybe if I let him think I remembered who he was, he would let me live. He wasn't William, he was a monster and nothing would ever change that.

His piercing eyes were the last thing I saw before I retreated into darkness.

I woke up in a hospital bed, unable to move my neck. It was too bright in the room and very cold. I lifted my right hand to my forehead, trying to soothe the intense pain pounding through my skull. The tubes of the IV stuck into my hand protested my movement. The vitals monitor I was hooked up to was beeping away in an annoying tone.

I looked past the blinding lights to see a nurse entering the room. She seemed excited when she saw me.

"Dear you are finally awake, I will get the doctor!" She exclaimed, quickly leaving.

I pondered the previous days, trying to make sense of my nightmare. Maybe my lonely life finally led me to insanity and I imagined being abducted by a dangerous creature who was madly in love with me, only to find out he ate people and made human murals out of dead bodies. I wasn't in any pain besides a headache so maybe it was all a dream. Besides, why would he let me go to the hospital in fear of me telling people about him?

A man walked into the room as I was finishing up my internal explanation. He was holding a clipboard and smiling very enthusiastically. "How are you feeling?" he asked me, "you have been in recovery for a couple of days now."

"Where am I and how did I get here?" was the only question I could think of.

"The hospital. You were found by a group of hikers. They brought you in when you didn't respond to their help. Your injuries weren't too severe but you didn't wake up after being treated. You had a concussion and it looked as if you had been strangled. I did identify you in our system as Alice Clarke is that correct? Can you tell me what happened to you, Alice?" He leaned forward, as if trying to study my movements.

I couldn't tell him about the creature, he would think I was crazy and lock me in the loony bin. I quickly thought of a more believable story. "Yes that is me. The last thing I remember is that I went rock climbing and must have misstepped and caught my neck on the rope." I didn't sound convincing at all.

The doctor looked at me, unblinking, "Rock climbing, huh? Were you with any friends? Family?"

"No," I quickly answered. "I went by myself, I feel much better though. Can I go home?"

"You can be discharged tomorrow if your vitals stay stable, in the meantime, get some rest and I will have the nurse bring you something to eat. I have also notified the police department that you have woken up. They will be in to ask you questions about your activities prior to your stay with us. It's only protocol due to your situation," he assured me. His smile made me feel uncomfortable.

"I understand," I nodded my head and sat up in bed. "Can't I go home today? I feel so much better."

He sighed and said, "If you show more improvement before this evening, I will consider it a possibility"

I nodded my head again and he stepped out of the room leaving me with my thoughts.

What a strange dream I had. I wondered what actually happened, since my rock climbing story was a ruse. I began doubting my sanity, I didn't want to admit the creature was real. There was no way something like that existed. Maybe if I got home and slept, I would feel fine. In the meantime, I had to do what the doctor says. I hoped for a small possibility of regaining any memory other than that of the beast, but I had no luck.

After going through the process of repeating the same story of my rock climbing to the police, the doctor cleared me to be discharged. I was driven home in the back of a police cruiser. It seemed almost unreal when I stepped out of the car and made my way up the front steps into my house. The entry door was closed, but unlocked. I cracked it open to see all my lights still on.

_That's odd_, I thought.

I felt rubbing against my leg and looked down to see Doodles greeting me like she did every time I came home from work. I stepped into my house, feeling at home and trying not to cry.

Doodles chirped and I followed her path into living room where everything sat exactly how I left it, then I rounded into the kitchen. I was still hungry even after the food I had eaten at the hospital. I opened the fridge to find the makings for a sandwich. The sandwich I constructed was very large. I turned to sit at the dining table only to notice a bowl in the spot I usually eat. Closer examination showed its contents were spaghetti which had hardened and had mold spots. I frowned and set down my sandwich on the counter, taking the bowl of spaghetti and tossing it in the garbage. I set the bowl and fork in the sink to be washed later.

Maybe I just left it out and forgot to toss it? I shrugged it off and took my seat.

I ate the sandwich with gluttony, enjoying every bite of it. As I finished my sandwich, I noticed a rumbling in my stomach. I ate too much food.

Typical me.

Glancing at the clock, I realized it was almost nine o'clock in the evening. I was full and tired, so I left my plate on the table and walked down the hall to my room. After entering the room, I closed the door and took off the clothes I was wearing when I arrived at the hospital. They were my usual exercise attire so at least my rock climbing story had a small hint of truth to it, though I was sure they were in the dirty clothes the last time I remember being home. My morning jog left them dirty that day.

I struggled to remember if anything had happened on my jog, after all I was found within five miles of my house. It pained me to know that part of my memory was replaced with a hellish nightmare. I decided not to dwell on the thoughts and just go to sleep. Maybe I would wake up in the morning with every answer I needed.

I wanted to shower but my body wasn't up for the task. My limbs were too heavy and I could hardly stand at this point. I threw on a t-shirt and sweatpants and climbed into bed leaving on the light. I was at least ninety percent sure I was hallucinating everything I saw the days before. I wasn't letting myself believe any of it was true. I was going to sleep and awaken to a peaceful day in my own house.

As I drifted into sleep, I heard a subtle flapping noise outside. I thought nothing of it and faded out of reality.

My sleep was interrupted by gentle arms wrapping around me and holding me in a warm embrace. I felt comfortable in my dream state and knew it was another episode of sleep paralysis.

_Don't open your eyes_, I urged myself.

I have had many episodes of sleep paralysis and knew how to let them pass slowly, I couldn't give in to my fear. I had to accept it. One way to fully accept my demons was to keep my eyes closed as to not have any hallucinations. Though this episode was different, somehow instead of being unable to move, I had full use of my body. I curled into a ball in the arms of my demon and urged myself out of the episode.

I felt gentle tugs on my hair as if my demon was petting my head, as if it was enticing me to open my eyes. I then heard a huffing noise and a small growl.

My demon doesn't make those noises. I was suddenly aware that I may not be in one of my episodes. My face was in the chest of whatever was holding me and I caught scent of a familiar smell.

It dawned on me then. I wasn't crazy. I was sane. It was the creature. It had to be. I slowly opened my eyes and leaned away to look at the thing holding me. Sure enough staring back at me was the same creature who had abducted me a few nights before. My last memory of him was his hand wrapped around my throat strangling me.

In an instant, I was in panic mode. He didn't finish me off last time so he came back to do the job. I must have escaped and made my way to the path of the hikers, to be found and brought to the hospital. I was once again in his grasp and needed a way out.

I kicked and screamed my way out of my bed, rising to my feet and running out my bedroom door. I made it down the hall to the entry door, tearing it open. I lunged out into the early morning air and ran as fast as I could down my driveway. In my panic, I tripped and ground my pads of my palms into the gravel catching myself. I was up in an instant and back to running, ignoring the pain in my hands.

My speed was slow and I felt sluggish. It was as if I were running in a dream, getting nowhere. At the end of my driveway, I decided to turn back to glance at my house. The sunrise behind me cast enough light for me to see clearly.

No sign of him.

Was I going crazy again? Surely I must have been because he would have caught me by now if he was real. I didn't want to go back into my house. It was harboring too many horrors for me at that moment. Maybe I would go check into an institution. I planted myself next to my mailbox, placing my head between my knees and began crying.

"You are insane, Alice. Why would you think that was real?" I thought outloud. I began rubbing my temples trying to console myself when I looked back up at my house.

In the doorway was a large figure that was staring out at me. It began stepping towards me, slowly but with long strides.

"Oh of fucking course!" I screamed. The tattered trench coat he was wearing was being caught by the wind. His boots were heavy and crunching along the gravel path, emitting a loud noise in my ears. My mouth was agape as my reality set in. I wanted this to be over. I wanted clarity. I had to face him.

"Be brave, he is going to kill you anyway," I whispered to myself. I stood slowly, shaking and confused, "Why don't you just kill me?" I shouted. I took a step forward and stumbled catching myself before hitting the ground. "What do you want from me? Why don't you leave me alone?"

He began walking slower as if waiting for my next moves. His face was shaded in his hat so I couldn't see his anger but I knew it was there. I could sense it.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore," I lied, hoping he would see my bluff, though I felt a bit of the statement was true. We were separated by a little more than ten feet now, but I wasn't stopping and neither was he. As I reached him I could see his face, no anger but I didn't care. I pulled my hand back and punched him in the face as hard as I could. His head snapped to the side as my fist connected and he stayed in the position even after I withdrew my hand. The intensity in his eyes stayed the same as he looked back at me. I struck again, this time with more strength. He didn't fight back, he just let me keep hitting him, no change to his demeanor. I began to break down.

Tears were streaming down my face and neck. I stopped hitting him and spoke, "I can't hurt you can I?" My words were broken and forced. I wasn't angry with him anymore, I was angry that I couldn't hurt him. I was angry because I couldn't do anything to protect myself. I was angry because he could hurt me.

He shook his head at my question and I cried harder.

As I stood sobbing and shivering in the cold, he examined me. I could tell his intentions to hurt me were long gone. "Why did you try to kill me back in that house?" I questioned. "Why didn't you kill me?"

The creature huffed and began, "I love you."

I looked at him through teary eyes, "If you love someone, you don't try to kill them!" My scream echoed through the forest surrounding us.

"I'm sorry," he said, as he reached for me. I dodged his hand and began walking back to my house.

"I don't want to hear it, now leave me alone and go find someone else to abuse," I said. I made it back to the house and turned my head to see if he was following me. He was though he was very far behind. I slammed the door, setting both locks and walking back to my room. I turned and locked that door too. To my dismay, he was already standing in the room right next to my open window.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I said, stomping my foot. He let out a small smile and stalked towards me. I wasn't able to make it back outside before I was forced against the wall. This time he held me in place with his body and not his hands which were holding my waist.

"Please let me explain," he begged. I tried to wiggle out from in between him and the wall but to no avail.

I let out a sigh of defeat and said, "Fine, you have five minutes or I will kill you and you will let me. Now tell me why you tried to kill me and why the hell you have a mural of human bodies in your basement? Do you get off on killing people and hanging them up on walls?"

He shifted his weight to alleviate any discomfort I had and began, "I didn't want you to see. Not that side of me. So much anger built and accident happened. Forgive? Please."

"You didn't answer my questions," I urged. "You have four minutes."

"I didn't want to kill you. I lost control when you saw room. I'm sorry. As you were beginning to lose consciousness you said my name. It made me not kill you. I love you." I could tell he was sincere about his apology, but I wasn't about to forgive him.

"I don't forgive you," I whispered, another thought crossed my mind, "how did I get to the hospital? The doctor said hikers found me."

He looked down and said, "I wasn't able to wake you up so I decided to get you to hospital. I don't know how to fix people, only killing. I put you in clothes you were wearing the day I searched for you and made sure you would be found."

"Searching for me?" I questioned.

He nodded, "Yes, I needed to find you. I needed to find you, to make it right."

"To make what right?"

"I can't explain," he said, "you need to remember."

"How can I remember something I don't even know about?" I wasn't getting anywhere with him. It was clear that I knew nothing of what he was talking about. I would never remember.

"Are you going to take me back to that house again?" I asked, "because if you are, at least let me bring clothes and my essentials. I can't survive in one pair of clothes."

He let me go and gestured to my room. I walked in and grabbed a suitcase from my closet and turned to him, "Why can't I just stay here?"

"Too dangerous for me, need you with me to be safe," he stated.

"Ok whatever," I groaned as I shoved as much as I could into the case. "I find that there is no reason to fight you and even if I did, I wouldn't win."

He didn't protest to this statement and just continued to observe me. His presence was frightening. I could never get used to his monstrous features. His predatory stance gave me chills up my spine.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, and I'm sorry for forcing myself on you," he suddenly stated.

I glared over at him, "You should be sorry, it was wrong for you to do those things, especially forcing yourself onto me when I was saying no. Also, when we get back to your hell house, I am not being locked in that room. I will get full reign of the house and the outside. I promise I won't go into your room of horrors." I shivered at the thought.

"Not outside," he quickly said.

I turned towards him and put my hands on my hips, "Yes, outside."

"No."

"How about if I prove that I won't make a run for it, I can go outside? Does that sound fair?" I became sarcastic at this point, "I mean it's not like I would make it far before you tracked me down and choked me out again."

He flinched at that and slowly left the room. I took the time he was gone to shove all my cash I had stashed in my closet into my bag. I had at least one hundred thousand dollars in a paper bag hidden away. I know it's stupid to keep so much money in your house, but I knew it would come in handy one day. I finished packing up my things and stalked out into the hallway, dragging myself to the kitchen where he was standing. "Are you ready?" I asked.

"When you are," he turned towards me. I could see the pain in his eyes as he looked me up and down. I wasn't sure why he was in pain when I was the one he had hurt.

A thought crossed my mind as I was beginning to respond, "Can I bring my cat?" I knew it was a long shot but I had to ask.

He looked around and spotted Doodles perched atop her climbing structure, her favorite spot in the house. "If you wish."

I walked over to Doodles and picked her up. She didn't protest as she loved being held. I stroked her stomach as she lay in my arms, making sure to support her weight as not to drop her. "Can we at least drive there? I didn't enjoy the flying last time." If we took my car, it wouldn't be so dangerous for Doodles either, plus we could carry more items.

He began to protest but when our eyes met he stopped and said, "Fine, but I drive."

I grabbed the cat carrier from my hall closet and placed Doodles inside. I had a few bags of cat food as well, so I took them to my car in the garage and set them in the trunk with my suitcase. I took the liberty to pack all of Doodles toys and even deconstructed her climbing structure to take with us. With everything I needed packed away into my car, I took one last look around my home to say goodbye. There was a possibility I wouldn't be able to come back.

I turned my back on my life and climbed into the passenger seat of my car, putting on my seatbelt and waited.

He came out to the garage closing the door and entering the vehicle. He took the time to adjust his seat all the way to its farthest setting. I had already put the key in the ignition, so I leaned over him to press the button on the garage door opener that was clipped to the visor. I struggled not to make eye contact with him.

As I leaned back in my seat, I shut my eyes and tried to encourage myself to be happy. Maybe I would enjoy a life of never having to interact with another human again, and I still had Doodles to keep me company. I opened my eyes to see we had pulled out onto the highway. I sighed audibly to show my frustration.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look over at me and then back at the road.

It was going to be a long drive.


	3. Chapter 3

A little bit of a shorter chapter this time around. Any reviews will help. I haven't gotten any yet but I'm hoping as I go on I will! Enjoy ;)

* * *

During the drive, I had begun to notice that every so often, my captor would glance over at me. It was beginning to become very annoying that he seemed to care so much about me but wouldn't give me a choice in my future.

"Keep your eyes on the road, buddy," I muttered as he looked towards me once more. He quickly turned his attention back to driving, though I could tell he was still staring at me out of the corner of his eye.

I sighed very loudly to show my frustration with him. I had been staring blankly out the window for the past three hours with no communication from him. The silence was driving me insane, finally, I decided to ask a question I had pent up for the past hour, "Are we almost there?"

"Almost, must keep going," he urged.

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Fine, just wake me up when we finally do get there. I'm beginning to get impatient."

I reclined my seat back as far as it would go and closed my eyes. I wasn't actually going to sleep, but I did need to think. I needed a distraction free mindset.

I contemplated everything from death to just giving in to his desires. I realized I didn't really want to die. I had a brush with death and I didn't enjoy it. If I was going to survive this, I had to give it what it wants..

_Eventually it would get bored of me and release me right?_ I thought.

"Why me? I mean, you have so many people to choose from and you choose me. I don't get it. I know you think I'm some kind of long lost woman of your dreams, which I'm not, and you think I will remember my past and fall in love with you but it's just not happening. I don't know why you need me to remember, it's not like it's going to help you much," I said with anger. I slammed my seat back up into upright position and just stared at him with wide eyes waiting for his response.

He didn't say anything, just kept staring at the road, not even glancing towards me. I could tell his facial expression changed though, he seemed more tense than before. I crossed my arms and shoved myself back into my seat as if throwing a fit. "Fine, if you won't tell me then I won't talk to you."

The car came to an abrupt stop and I slammed forward. The seat belt caught me, cutting into my throat and saving me before my face could hit the dashboard. The tires screeched in protest and, finally, we were at a complete standstill.

We sat in silence for a few minutes until he suddenly spoke, "Get out."

"What, are you going to leave me in the middle of nowhere? I'm not getting out, I'm staying here and there is nothing you can do about it," I turned my head away from him.

I heard the car door open and close on his side. His heavy footsteps came around the back of the car at a pace that made it seem he was taking his time. I sat waiting, arms still crossed as he arrived at my door. He pulled it open and stared at me, "Please get out."

"Oh so you are saying please now? Wow, how thoughtful of you," the sarcasm in my tone shone through as I made this bold statement, then I remembered the agreement I made with myself.

_Just give him what he wants_, I thought. I huffed at myself in disappointment and unbuckled myself from the seat and exited the car. I put my hands in my pockets and asked, "Ok, what do you want?"

I looked around while I waited for him to answer. We were on a back road in the middle of nowhere. Very large trees surrounded us on either side, parting perfectly for a single car to drive through. The ideal setting for committing a murder and getting away with it.

"I am trying to help you-to help us," he began, "you will not put in any effort. Please, trust me. I will not hurt you again. I have no reason to hurt you again. I'm sorry for that, please forgive me?" His tone and body language was sincere as if he was trying to console me. He placed his hands against the car on either side of me and stared directly into my eyes.

For a moment, I was trying to push him away but once I made eye contact with him, my thoughts melted away. My heart was audibly thudding inside my chest, though not in fear. It was something else. Something I had experienced before. Something I had felt the first night I was with him. The spell he had put on me was returning, though a voice in my mind was telling me it wasn't a spell. In a moment, he pressed his body against mine ever so slightly and caressed my face in his hand. I leaned into it and closed my eyes, somehow cherishing the moment.

_Why am I not protesting?_ I asked myself.

His lips were on mine suddenly, kissing ferociously. I didn't try to stop him; I only gave in and returned the kiss with the same urgency. I felt the deep churning in my abdomen becoming more and more prominent as the kiss went on. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to him. He responded by pushing me further up the car, pulling my legs to hook around his body for support. I was surprised when he quickly pulled away from me, and stepped back, mumbling, "Let's go."

I was left breathless as he walked back around to the driver's side of the car. My heart was wild and desire was pounding out of me. I shook it off, running my hand through my hair and wiping the sweat from my forehead.

I climbed into the car and exhaled loudly before buckling my seat belt.

"You said you wouldn't force yourself on me," I said suddenly.

He looked over at me and whispered, "You were the one that kissed me." His expression screamed triumph as he smiled and turned back to the endless path to nowhere.

I narrowed my eyes, and looked down at my hands, fumbling around with them in my nervousness. "Maybe when we get there we can talk," I suggested, "after all, I know nothing about you but you seem to know everything about me."

He nodded and said, "It's a possibility."

That was enough for me. For the rest of the drive, I had my seat leaned back, staring at Doodles sleeping in her carrier. She had all my physical attention, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't believe I had willingly kissed him. I guessed it was just my survival instincts kicking in and doing what the creature wanted. Or maybe there was a part of me that felt something for him. Maybe he was right about everything.

_Only time will tell_, I thought.

We came to a stop and I sat up in the seat. I looked around and saw a small cobblestone house that looked run down. The area surrounding the house was beautiful and completely in the shadows of enormous trees, as if it were straight out of a fantasy. There was green grass and a plethora of different types of flowers. I was in shock that something so beautiful existed in the world. Upon further examination, I found that the front door was boarded up just as I suspected before.

The creature stepped out of the vehicle and headed to the front door of the house. He tore the wooden planks off the entry door and pushed it open. I grabbed Doodles and got out of the car. The path to the front door was made up of broken stepping stones showing off sharp edges where they were most damaged. I stepped around the damaged stones and into the house to follow after the creature.

Everything was the same except for small repairs to fix the damage I had done to the house. I walked through the living room to the bedroom setting Doodles on the bed. I still had her in her carrier because I didn't want her to run outside.

I turned to the creature and asked, "Do you think it's safe for Doodles to go outside around here?"

He looked confused, "Doodles? What is a 'Doodles'?"

I let out a chuckle, saying, "My cat." I pointed to the carrier.

"Sure, there are no predators here but plenty of mice," he looked puzzled still. "Why that name?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "It was the first one I flipped to when I was reading a book on what to name your cat."

He slowly nodded and walked back out to the car. I opened the cat carrier and coaxed Doodles out. She crawled out and in a flash, scurried towards the front door, escaping the house. I knew she would come around eventually. After all, this was going to have to be her home for the time being.

I closed the carrier and set it by the desk. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something shining on the desk. I leaned forward to find the locket the creature had given me was laid out neatly, as if it were a "welcome home" gift. Accepting the gift, I picked it up and clasped it around my neck, letting the pendant rest on my chest.

_If I'm going to survive this, I might as well play the part_, I thought.

With the locket on, I walked out to unload all my essentials from my car, only to find everything was already sitting in the living room. The creature walked through the door carrying the disassembled play structure. He eyed me up and down as if examining me. His eyes landed on the locket and he set the structure on the floor. He crept towards me, removing his hat and scooping me up in his arms.

"Um, what is this all about?" I asked him.

"Wearing locket. It makes me happy," he set me down and backed away, mumbling apologetically. "I got you food." He gestured towards the fridge. I wasn't hungry at the moment so I just nodded and began unpacking everything.

After I was done unpacking, the creature approached me, "I would like to take you somewhere, if you allow it," he asked, "we would have to fly, though only shortly."

I cringed at the thought of being at that altitude again, but I agreed saying, "Only if you hold me like last time so I can't see the ground. I don't like heights."

He just nodded and said, "Okay, is it ok if we leave now?"

"Sure, let me set some food out for Doodles," I said. I emptied some food and water into bowls I found in the kitchen and set them outside in hopes she would find them. I also took the time to put on a jacket to stay warm because I was unsure how long we would be gone. I turned to the creature who was waiting on the path to the house and informed him that I was ready to go.

"Perfect," he said, scooping me up and positioning my body against him and took off into the sky. It was indeed a short and peaceful flight, though I was getting annoyed at the fact that he would smell my hair every so often. It creeped me out when he would do his smelling thing. It was as if he were searching by smelling the air. Chills ran up my spine at the thought.

Once we touched the ground, he let go of me. I stepped back and turned away from him to see nothing. We were in a patch of woods with nothing special about it.

"Why did you bring me out here?" I asked. "If you wanted to look at trees, we could have just walked outside."

"We aren't there yet, we can walk the rest of the way," he whispered, "but I must tell you something first and please listen." He had an urgency to his voice which drew me in.

"Yeah, what is it?" I was more curious than ever.

He inhaled deeply and grabbed my hands, "I need you to listen because I tell you what I am, is that okay?"

I was overwhelmed by the fact that I was about to discover what he was, "Yes of course, tell me."

"I was human once, long ago. In the painting with you. I can't tell you all of it, but I can show you some. Once you remember, everything will come back. You have to remember us," he paused as if trying to catch his breath, "I have been searching for you, every twenty-third year for twenty-three days, I get a chance for you to remember. If you don't remember before the time is gone, I will have to start over."

I was in shock, "Why the strict time periods?"

"I can't tell you, that's for you to remember. It will not work if I tell you," he stated, "I must show you something. It may help you if you saw it. Please do not get upset with me."

"I won't be mad at you, I promise," I consoled.

He led me through the trees, stopping at the edge of a clearing. The area was unkempt as there were weeds overgrowing the entire meadow. Through the mess of weeds, I noticed planks were sticking out of the ground in some areas. I examined further and I gasped as I realized it was a small graveyard. There were roughly a dozen headstones all carved from wood. Carved into all of the headstones was one name. The same name over and over again.

_Alice Clarke_.

They were all dated twenty-three years apart. I was standing wide-eyed, processing how it could be possible.

"What happens at the end of the twenty-three days?" I asked.

"I go into a twenty-three year long sleep," he said, "and you die…" he looked saddened as he said the last words.

"What is this place?" was all I could muster up in response.

"It's where I bury you after I fail to save us," he answered. "Only the times I have been able to find you though, other times I have never been able to locate you. That is all I can tell you, I can't tell you the rest, though I wish I could."

"How long do we have left?" I turned towards him now. He was hiding in the shadows.

"I found you quicker this time, though all the times before, you have never been so willing to hear me out than you are now," he said, "We have thirteen days."

Thirteen days.

My life depended on the outcome of the next thirteen days.

We arrived back at the house right as the sun was going down. I hadn't eaten all day so I decided to make myself dinner. As I made dinner, I thought about my evening with the creature. We talked a lot about me, which was decent, but once I started questioning him more about the past, he would shut down and ignore me. I was very confused as to why he wouldn't tell me what I needed to remember, but now that my life depended on it, I was willing to do anything to remember.

I mean, _anything_.

I quickly looked around. The creature had disappeared, leaving me alone in my thoughts. I was saddened by this. I had hoped to ask him a few more questions, like how the hell he had electricity and water. I'm sure he wouldn't oppose to answering those questions, after all they weren't about us. I ate my sandwich by myself, then I went to the bedroom in hopes of getting some much needed sleep.

As I was undressing, the painting above the bed caught my eye again. I examined it as if enticing myself to remember. The woman in the painting stared back at me. I was jealous of her since she knew all of my hidden secrets. I was hoping she would leap out at me and tell me everything I needed to know, but unfortunately, she didn't.

"Thanks for your help," I sarcastically mumbled under my breath, referencing the painting.

I was startled by the response behind me, "I didn't know you needed help undressing." I turned to see the creature standing in the entrance of the room.

I was suddenly aware that I was standing completely naked now. I fumbled for something to cover myself with, only to be able to find the clothes I have taken off. I wished the blanket on the bed was closer but I wouldn't make it before fainting from embarrassment.

"Do you know how to knock?" I asked.

"You left the door open, there was nothing to knock on," he chuckled. He grabbed the blanket from the bed and stalked over to me. As he was covering me with the blanket, he brushed against me, and once again, I felt the churning returning to my abdomen. I shut my eyes and begged it to go away but my prayers were useless.

I _needed _him, and no matter how much I didn't want to admit it, the feeling was not going to go away.

He stepped away from me and headed for the bedroom door. "Wait, will you stay with me?" I asked. "I don't want to be alone."

He was frozen in the doorway with his back turned to me, as if he were surprised to hear me ask him of this. "Why?" He questioned.

"Because if you believe it or not, I'm scared of the dark," I said, fumbling my words.

He turned towards me now, "Of all the things that scare you, it's the dark?" He looked at me and chuckled. "Not me? Do I scare you?"

I shook my head, "You used to, like a lot. When I first saw you in my house, I felt as if I were going to have a heart attack, but now I'm not scared. I guess I realized you aren't as bad as you seem. Or maybe I'm just crazy and need to get thrown in the loony bin."

He chuckled once again, "I didn't mean to scare you, my appearance isn't of my choosing."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"It's not important now, you need to rest. I'll stay," he said, sitting down on the desk chair. He spun around, pulling some tools out and began carving a small piece of wood he pulled out of his pocket.

"You can stay in bed with me," I suggested, trying to sound as innocent as I could.

"If you wish," he said. I nodded at him to confirm my statement. Just as quickly as he had begun, he stopped carving, stood up and moved to the bed. He sat down and continued his carving. I shuffled over to him, dragging the huge blanket that was wrapped around me.

I looked curiously at the carving, "What are you making?"

"A handle for a knife," he answered. I sat down next to him and scooted closer. He tensed at this movement and said, "I carve many other things, like the furniture as well." He gestured towards the headboard and dresser.

I smiled in amazement, "They are lovely. Definitely something I would buy and put in my house." I was interested in his carvings, but something much more exciting was occupying my mind. I was still full of desire for him. "You know, when a woman asks you to bed, it has a secret meaning to it," I suggested, hoping he would understand.

His gaze left the project he was working on and rested on my face. I was blushing with embarrassment.

_What if he doesn't want me? _I thought. Doubt washed over me and I looked away from his eyes. Had I just set myself up for disaster? I wanted to melt away.

I looked back up at him and his expression sat unchanging, as if he were still processing my words. I realized he wasn't going to say anything, so I stood up and walked towards the bathroom. I needed to be alone, alone to cry or whatever emotion was coming over me.

Before I could make it to the bathroom, his hand was on my wrist, spinning me towards him. "What do you mean by what you said? I am confused," he said.

I was crying now, I tried to make the tears go away, but I couldn't. My tears were of self embarrassment. How could I do that to myself? "Nothing, just forget it." I tried pulling away but he didn't let go. He held me on both sides now, trying to console me.

"I'm sorry I made you cry," he said.

"It was me, I made myself cry," I assured him. "I thought you would understand but now you probably think I'm crazy."

He chuckled, "You aren't crazy, I just don't know what you meant. Please, tell me?"

I took a deep breath, finally calming myself, "Fine, I wanted you to lay in bed with me. Like what we did last time," I said, trailing off towards the end.

"Last time? You mean sex?" He asked.

I nodded, hiding my face as best I could, "That's what I meant."

He let go of me and returned to the desk, continuing his carving. I stood watching him, confused as to why he didn't respond to what I had said. He turned his head towards me and said, "We will start over so you can ask again."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Well you already know what I want, so why do I have to ask you again?" With this, he stood up and took off his coat. He was suddenly in front of me, taking me in his arms and removing the blanket from around me.

"Are you sure?" he asked, cupping my face in his hand. I leaned up and kissed him, giving a silent answer to his question. He kissed back and picked me up, shoving me onto the bed. His form covered mine, showing his dominance over me. He planted kisses along my collar bone and began undressing himself. In no time, he plunged into me and began thrusting quickly. I moaned loudly as he went deeper, and with my moans, he found satisfaction. I was his satisfaction and he was mine.

I _yearned_ for him. In this moment of weakness, I began thinking. I don't know why, but somehow I felt like I have been with him forever. I felt like I _could_ be with him forever. I was no longer afraid and no longer angry. I just wanted him and only him.

He was _mine_.


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke to sunlight beaming across my face. I squinted and pulled the blanket up farther to cover my face. I began stretching my stiff body, focusing mostly on my legs which were suffering the most. As I stretched, I realized I wasn't alone in bed. Gentle arms were around me and I opened my eyes to see the creature pulling me closer to him. I didn't protest, as I was still overwhelmed by my emotions from the previous night.

"Good morning," I said, as I sat up in bed.

He huffed in response. "I have to go for a couple hours," he said.

"Why don't you just stay with me?" I questioned.

"I'm hungry," is all he said. I cringed at the words knowing what he meant. I wasn't going to argue with him so I just nodded my head. "I will try to be back faster," he whispered, kissing me once.

"Why do you kill humans?" I asked. He tensed up at the question. I was sure I was prying too much, but I was curious.

"If I don't, I will die," he answered while staring straight ahead. "While I'm gone, you can go outside, I reopened the window here," he gestured to the source of light glaring into the room, "I also locked up the basement."

I was shocked that he was allowing me outside after our previous discussion on the topic, "Okay, I'll be fine, I'll find something to do," I said, knowing there was nothing I could do. I didn't bring any books or recreational items. I sighed and stood from the bed to get dressed. Food was on the top of my list at the moment. He watched me as I got dressed, examining my movements.

"You amaze me, you know? I haven't ever gotten this far with you before," he said, "You would usually be too scared to talk or to even be in the same room with me. I was starting to give up hope."

I paused in the middle of putting on my shirt, both happy and sad to hear what he had said, "What's different this time?"

He chuckled, "Well as time goes on, I've noticed you have become more and more bossy for one, and for two, a part of me thinks your subconscious has built up to become used to me. Just a theory."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm bossy alright, and I do think you are correct about the second part. For some reason, I feel most of my actions are done on its behalf. I feel driven by my subconscious. For example, the first night we were together, I felt it take over." I blushed remembering that night.

He just smiled and stood up to walk over to me, "Well, I'm glad you feel that way."

I looked into his eyes and then something came to my mind, something I wanted to ask since the day before, "I have a question, and it's going to sound stupid so please don't laugh."

"I won't laugh, I promise," he assured me.

"Okay, so when we first met you could hardly make a whole sentence, but now you can talk exceptionally well. Why is that?" I asked.

"Like I said, this is the farthest I have ever gotten with you. Talking isn't something I do very often but with you I tend to talk a lot."

"What, you don't introduce yourself to your victims?" I said sarcastically. I could tell I upset him with my choice of words. "I have one more question," I said, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Do I have to promise not to laugh again?" he questioned.

I sighed, "I don't think you will laugh at this one."

He urged me to continue, so I said, "Why do you stitch people together on the wall? Is there a reason for that? I mean, don't get me wrong, I still think it's super fucking gross, but I'm just curious."

He looked at me sternly, "It's your turn to promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise," I replied.

"I like to give the life back to people after death. I don't like that I have to kill to survive, so I grant them with eternal life through preservation, which is the improper way, but it's the means that I have. I once believed that after death, I wouldn't decay, or as the church I was associated with called it 'incorruptible'. I obviously wasn't granted what I wanted due to unforeseen circumstances, so I try my best to give it to others-giving what I couldn't have to others," he trailed off and began leaving the room.

"Wait, what church? I have more questions," I said, grabbing his arm.

"That is all I can say, I may accidentally tell you too much," he said, "It's a risk." He pulled his arm back softly and left the room. I heard the front door open and the distant flapping of wings slowly fading away.

I was left to process a lot of information. Why couldn't he tell me anything about who I was in the past? When would I be able to remember?

All I knew was _this_ life, no others came before it. I didn't believe in reincarnation. Life after death is nonexistent, though it would seem my situation said otherwise. Reality seemed to be slowly slipping away from me. I sat on the edge of the bed and closed my eyes. Maybe if I willed myself to remember the past, memories would flood back into my mind.

Then, as if begging for my attention, a memory slowly crept in, but not of a past life. A memory of my current life. I remember having an odd feeling the day I was taken by the creature. It began in the morning while I was jogging and spanned throughout the day. A feeling as if I were being watched.

*Flashback*

The wind blew through my ponytail, trailing my hair out behind me. I felt alive, just as I do every morning. Jogging was one of my favorite past times, though not that I jog to stay in shape but to feel energized. The trail in front of me was coming to an end and I knew I had to turn back in a few more yards. The thick forest surrounding the trail was unusually quiet, unlike the previous day when a plethora of forest life was thriving around me.

_I haven't even seen any squirrels_, I thought.

I came to a stop at the end of the trail and sat on a fallen tree. I had been jogging this area for five years and had never felt so uneasy about it. I examined the area surrounding me as I pulled my water bottle from my backpack.

No movement.

I slowly drank my water then tossed my backpack on my back. I didn't want to waste any time getting back home. I wasn't sure why the forest seemed different today, but I was hoping it was just my own insanity getting to me. As I jogged back, I saw a massive shadow of a bird pass above me. I became startled and screamed in response, looking up into the sky and seeing a murder of crows, all cawing in unison. I laughed at myself for being frightened of birds and continued on my way back.

"Alice, you are losing yourself," I muttered.

The cawing of the crows was beginning to annoy me, no matter how far jogged, it seemed as if they were still right above me. The shadow passed over again, and this time, I looked up to see a massive figure disappear over the trees and into the woods. It was oddly familiar to me, as if I had seen it before. I was unsure of what it was, but it was definitely not a crow.

I was in a full sprint now, my heart was pumping out of my chest as I closed in on the field at the beginning of the trail. The crows were on my tail, I could hear the flapping in my ears filling me with the sense of panic. Tears were streaming down my face as I broke out into the field. Terror spread through my body, but I kept running. I could see my house surrounded by a grove of trees across the field. I looked back to the woods to see the crows breaking free of the forest edge and flying down towards me. Then as quickly as they arrived, they retreated. They went back into the forest and perched on the branches, watching me as I ran away from them. It was like they were being commanded, but by who? Or what?

The terror of the unknown filled me again, leaving me in shambles as I finally reached the end of my driveway. I looked back to the forest again. There were no crows. Only the trees slowly swaying in the early morning wind. I exhaled loudly, my heart still pounding audibly in my chest. After I was able to collect myself, I headed up my driveway and to my front door. I opened it and once inside, I felt safety wash over me. I made sure the door was locked and made my way down the hallway to take a shower.

During my shower, I settled my mind by drawing conclusions of what the figure in the forest could have been. It was possibly just a very large bird and my mind was tricking me to think it was something else, or it was just a large tree branch that was swaying a bit to hard in the wind.

The hot water soothed my nerves and soon, I was in complete control of my emotions. I was no longer able to sense any danger. My mind shifted to other thoughts. I began pondering whether or not I should call into work and tell them I wouldn't be in due to an illness. I didn't want to work, but what else was there to do? I could stay in all day reading or I could start my birthday vacation early.

I had booked tickets for London for my twenty-third birthday. I hadn't been since I went with my adoptive parents for my sixteenth birthday. The two were disgusting human beings, only caring about themselves and the money they received when they adopted me. My biological parents were very wealthy and when they tragically passed away when I was five, they left everything to me. The family lawyer fought for thirteen years to keep the house and money left to me away from my "family,'' as they called themselves. Luckily, when I turned eighteen, I was able to claim what was mine and leave my horrid past behind me.

My parents had set me up for life. I had a place to live, money for anything I wanted, and a full life ahead of me. Thankfully, my adoptive parents were arrested for cheating the welfare system, so I didn't have to worry about coming in contact with them anymore.

I finally decided that I would make an effort and go in to work. No matter how boring it would be, I would at least leave on good terms in case I decided that life was too dull without having a job. Once I was done in the shower, I got dressed and left for work. The drive was scenic; it always cheered me up. Off the road in many places were pens of cattle, which I adored. In addition to the cattle were different bridges over creeks and rivers, as well as a few houses scattered scarcely. The houses in the area were massive traditional style homes with large yards, much like my own. During the drive, I felt odd, as if someone was following me. I glanced in my rearview and only saw an old, large truck back in the distance, which wasn't unusual for this area as they were used to haul hay all the time. I settled my nerves, and let my mind take over as I made my way farther into town.

The workday dragged on and on, making it feel as if it were never going to end. No matter how many times I glanced at the clock, it felt like it wasn't ticking. I focused on my work, trying to pay no mind to the clock.

Finally, I was free to go home.

I walked quickly to the breakroom, pausing outside once I realized there were two of my coworkers inside. I took a deep breath and walked in, trying to avoid them. I wasn't up for harassment. It was then I realized that one of them was crying, and the other was attempting to console her.

"I don't know where he is," Amy said, "he hasn't answered any of my phone calls or text messages. It's like he has disappeared. I even drove by his house and his car is there, but his parents don't know where he is either. They reported it to the police, but there is just so many people missing, they can't do anything right now. It's not like him to just leave. I have been with him for years and he just up and left? I don't get it." She cried harder, and for a second, I felt pity for her. I know what it's like to lose someone you love.

I was at my locker now, slowly getting my bag together, now eavesdropping.

"Honey, did you hear the news? I don't want to seem like I'm being rude or anything, but there is a serial killer out there somewhere right now," Leslie stated, honestly, she wasn't making the situation any better and she never did, "I don't want you to think that he is dead, but it's a possibility, with all the missing people and everything. They found all those bodies in that church, you know?"

Amy glared up at Leslie through tears and said, "Really? I am crying that my boyfriend is missing and you comfort me by telling me that? What kind of friend are you?"

At this point, I'm fully invested in this conversation so I sit down at a table on the other side of the room to drink some water. "I'm sorry, I don't know how to comfort people," Leslie defended herself, "maybe he went on a vacation without telling anyone?" Amy didn't look happy; she stood quickly and marched to the bathroom, leaving me alone with Leslie.

I made eye contact with Leslie, who just glared at me and left the room as well. Honestly, I was hoping to hear more. I had heard about the bodies on the news last night and was planning on watching the next broadcast when I get home today. Why was nothing being done about all the missing people. What if they were all still alive?

Without another thought, I stood and made my way to the front of the store. Before I could get to the door, I was stopped by the manager of the store, Larry. He was a sick man. Always degrading people for the smallest reasons or attempting to make passes at the female workers. For some reason, though, he never tried with me. There was no point in reporting him to the store or to the police, since he is best friends with just about everyone in town.

"Your shift isn't over Alice, get back to work," Larry demanded, his ugly face grimaced at me. His body stood in front of me, covering the door so I couldn't get out. "You know, it's a good thing you put in your notice because we don't need you anyway. We will hire someone who actually knows how to do their job. Someone with better looks."

"Good for you Larry, but I need to get home, I worked a full shift today and I don't want you to have to pay me overtime," I said, "I know you don't like paying overtime, do you?"

He didn't move from his spot and fumbled with his words, "I'll just change your clock in time so you don't get overtime."

"That's illegal, now please move so I can go home. Why don't you go bother someone else and let me leave? I'm not _your_ _type_ anyways," I sneered, hoping it would help.

Larry faked looking shocked and moved out of the way, "I have a wife and kids at home, I would never…" he trailed off. As if a wife and kids would keep him from what he does on a daily basis.

"See you tomorrow Larry," I said, as I left the store. The amount of effort he uses to make my work life miserable is the main reason that I put in my notice of resignation. I was tired of the constant harassment from him. I wanted to focus on traveling more than anything right now. I needed to get out of town, and away from people. I wanted to be home.

The town I lived in was of decent size with a population of around five thousand. There were a few stores and a small school making up the central area of the town. Housing was very limited as it mostly spread far out along the highway in either direction, meaning there was light traffic except on weekday mornings and evenings when school was in session. Turning out of town, I headed back home, once again, taking in the beauty of the drive, still unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

*End Flashback*

I was suddenly back in the bedroom at the creature's house. Was it him that I saw in the forest? The thought of it being true frightened me. I remembered what he had said about "searching for me" and it made sense. I wasn't going crazy; I knew what I saw. My enlightenment was cut short by the creature entering the room.

He came in and eyed me mysteriously, saying, "You seem worried."

I looked up at him from my spot on the bed, "Wait, I thought you said you were going to be gone for a few hours. You just left a few minutes ago."

"I've been gone for three hours, are you sure you are okay? Maybe you fell asl-" he paused and looked behind him, leaving the room. I followed confused at his sudden change in demeanor. He seemed frustrated.

"Hey what's wrong?" I asked, grabbing his arm just as he reached the pathway outside.

He stopped in his tracks, "I'm just going to check on something, I'll be right back. Please go back inside." He flew into the sky and swooped down to grab something up in the forest. I realized that something was a person. Why was there a person running across the forest?

The creature flew around the side of the house, as he passed me, I heard a blood curdling screams ripping out of the person and a sickening crunch of bones.

I frowned and said, "You have got to be fucking kidding me?" I turned back and walked inside, closing the door behind me and curling up onto the bed.

"Just don't think about it, it was probably just a deer. A_ human _shaped deer," I said out loud. With that thought, the creature returned and saw me lying on the bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I leaned up on my elbow, "Golden, why?"

"Well you didn't go back inside so I figured you saw what happened," he said, and for once he looked ashamed.

"Nope, I didn't _see _or _hear_ anything," I said sarcastically. "Now before I vomit, please tell me how you were gone for so long though it only felt like five minutes."

He sat on the bed next to me, "Like I was saying, maybe you fell asleep. It's a possibility."

"I didn't fall asleep; I was thinking about the day you took me from my home. I remembered my morning jog. Were you watching me that day? With all the crows? If so, you owe me an apology, I almost had a heart attack. You really need to be stealthier," I complained.

He chuckled, "That was me, and I apologize. The wings don't really help with that."

I nodded and said, "Let's not scare me like that ever again then, deal?" I held out my hand for a hand shake and he just stared at it. "It's a hand shake, you have to grab my hand and shake like this," I took his hand and acted it out with him.

"Strange way to hold hands," he said.

I laughed, "It's not for holding hands, it's like when people make a deal, they shake hands to agree."

He slowly nodded and got up, "Did you want to do anything for the rest of the day?"

I pretended to ponder the thought and came to a decision, "I'm kind of hungry so I think I'll eat before anything else."

"Hey so is it ok if I just call you William? I mean, it might help me remember faster if I did," I asked looking up from my food towards him. He was leaning against the wall in the living room, carving the same piece of wood he was working on the previous night.

He looked at me and smiled widely, "If you wish." I hadn't seen him so happy before, which made me smile as well. "Have you thought of what you wanted to do with our evening? We still have several hours of daylight."

I shook my head, "Nope, anything you can think of?"

He smiled slyly, as if laughing at an internal joke, "Maybe we could just sleep?"

I rolled my eyes, I knew what he meant, "Not today, I'm not in the mood."

He side-eyed me from his spot in the living room and continued his work, whispering, "Just a thought."

"Yah, I'll keep it in mind," I continued eating, ignoring any stares he gave me until I heard a faint scraping at the door, "That had better not be another one of the escapees." I cringed at the thought.

William left his spot on the wall and opened the door to reveal Doodles, waiting patiently by the door. I stood and ran over to the door. "My sweet baby! I knew you would come back," I turned to William, "it takes her a while to adjust to new places, you should see her when we go on vacations."

"Vacations?" William looked at me in wonder.

"Yah, it's like if you were to go to Hawaii or Europe. It would be a vacation. So traveling, I guess," I explained to him. "Like I was going to go to London for my twenty-third birthday, but it seems like I have different plans that day."

"London? Why London?" he asked, "Have you been there before?"

"Yes, for a previous birthday, it's a beautiful place. It draws me in and I can't seem to get it out of my head," I stood up straight with Doodles in my arms and walked her into the house, closing the door behind me. "Have you been?"

He nodded, "Long ago, it's very different now though. Many changes."

"Did you enjoy yourself? I mean, I'm sure you just flew around killing people but you know what I mean."

"Back then, I didn't kill people, but yes, my time there was the best I ever had in my entire life," he trailed off and went back to his carving. I just stared at him, pondering what he had said. If he didn't kill people when he was in London, then maybe he was still human during the time.

"Was it when you were still human?" I set Doodles down on the couch and took a seat in the recliner. "Is that a question you can answer, I get that you can't tell me certain things, but I'm just curious. If I ever ask you a question that is too much, just let me know."

He looked relieved at this statement, "I can answer that, yes it was when I was still human."

"Was I with you?" I questioned.

"It wouldn't have been the best time of my entire life if you weren't," he whispered.

I blushed and looked away from him, "Can you tell me what I was like back then?"

He shifted slightly, showing a small amount of discomfort, "Much like you are today, but less bossy," his mood seemed to lighten and he smiled, "I can't tell you anymore. Please let's just talk about something else."

I agreed, "Okay, what did you want to talk about?"

"You. What do you do for fun?" he asked.

"I like to read and write. I also worked at the local grocery store, but I wouldn't call that fun, it was more like hell," I said.

"At least you don't have to work anymore," he said, leaving his spot against the wall and perching himself on the couch across from me. "Have you decided if you wanted to do anything yet? I'm sorry I'm being so pushy; I just want to spend what time I have left with you. Loneliness drives a man insane."

I thought for a second, nothing coming immediately to my mind, then I got an idea, "Maybe we could just lay down and sleep?" I suggested.

"You just said you weren't in the mood, anyways, now I'm not in the mood, so we should do something else," he complained.

I sighed, then got an idea. An evil idea.

Standing up, I began undressing, leaving my undergarments, "If you aren't in the mood that's fine. Is there any place to go swimming around here?"

He eyed me up and down, clearly struggling with himself. I stood half naked in front of him, waiting for his response, which he struggled with, "Yes, there is a lake just over the trees, we can walk there."

"Okay, let's go," I ran to the room to throw on shoes and grab a couple towels I had packed. I turned back to the living room to see him standing in the bedroom doorway looking at me with need. I shoved passed him and said, "Lead the way."

He obliged and I followed him outside. The walk to the lake was only five minutes. The section of the lake was secluded. I couldn't see any boats or people so I figured it was an unpopular spot to swim or boat. It wasn't too sunny but it was perfect weather for a swim. I felt the water and it was very warm. I laid out my towel on the beach and set another one closer to the water. I began wading out into the lake, turning back to see William still staring at me by the edge of the forest.

"Are you coming in?" I asked as I unclasped my bra, letting my breasts lay free on my chest.

He watched my movements and I could see him shift uneasily. "Do I take off my clothes too?" he asked.

I laughed and replied, "If you want to."

I turned away from him and went further into the water, removing my underwear as well. The water felt nice on my skin. It was strangely pleasurable. I was suddenly aware of the shift in the water as William came closer to me. I moved further away, making my feeble attempt to seduce him last even longer. I had him back at the house, but in reality, I wanted to see how far I could take it.

William grabbed my wrist as I swam away, he stood with the water up to his waist. I examined his demonic features in the sunlight and noticed that he didn't look as terrifying as he had before. Not just for me personally, but his reptilian skin had lightened up to be closer to a tan than a grey and had smoothed out in certain areas.

"Hey, you look different," I noted.

He scooped me up out of the water and held me against him. I wrapped my legs around him, and leaned back to examine his face more. "Why do you look different?"

"It's not important," is all he said before he kissed me. My arms went around his neck as I deepened the kiss. My abdomen churned and a soft growl rose from his chest. I dropped the subject for the time being and focused on him. "Why do you torture me? We could have stayed home and done this," he reminded me.

I smiled at him, "That would mean I would have missed out on seducing you, and where is the fun in that?"

"You didn't have to seduce me, you can just ask, I was joking when I said I wasn't in the mood," he told me.

"I know," I said, before kissing him again. He kissed back in urgency, wrapping me tighter around him. I felt his erection on my leg and let out a giggle. He pulled back and looked at me confused.

"Why are you laughing?" he questioned.

"No reason," I assured him. I leaned towards him and took his erection in my hand, positioning it outside my entrance, "Please, make love to me now."

He kissed me and pushed into me, still standing in the water, holding me tightly against himself. I moaned out in pleasure and leaned my body backwards, allowing for him to go deeper. He groaned as he did so and began slowly thrusting in and out of me quickly. His mouth found my breast and made me moan louder.

"Slow down, I don't want to go to fast," I forced out through the moans. He stopped and turned us back towards the beach. "Where are we going? Why did you stop?"

He didn't respond, he just began kissing me again. I was suddenly on top of him as he laid on the towel I had put out earlier. He kept thrusting into me, making me bounce up and down on top of him. His hands were on my hips to hold me steady. I was sure if he wasn't holding me, I would collapse. He leaned up to a sitting position with me still on top of him and began kissing me as he slowed his thrusts. The kisses were passionate and trailed from my mouth to my collarbone. He picked up the pace and I began falling apart.

He sensed my orgasm was coming and went faster, making me cry out louder. I came around him, wrapping my legs tighter, screaming his name. I felt him slowing as he came as well, filling me with that hot sensation again. I rested my face in the crook of his neck and he laid back on the towel. We stayed in the position for a while, unmoving.

I finally broke the silence, "So to answer your question, _that_ is what I wanted to do today."

He laughed and said, "I could tell."

I stood up and stretched my body. I grabbed the towel that I had next to the water and wrapped it around me. "Did you want to go back to the house?" I asked.

"We can if you want," he said, "I'll carry you. You look like you are going to faint."

"Okay," I did feel light headed, so it wasn't the worst idea. I allowed him to scoop me up and he brought us back to the house. Once inside, he set me down, I turned to him and asked, "Is it ok if we just go lay down for a bit?"

He gestured to the room and followed behind me. I climbed into bed, still naked and he followed suit. He held me under the blanket and stroked my hair.

"I really do hope you remember," he whispered, "After all, we have gotten this far already."

I looked up at him, curious, "What's the farthest you have ever gotten with me besides this time?"

He pondered the thought and replied, "Well let's just say you have never been sexually active with me before."

I smiled, "I find you irresistible. I don't know why."

"That's a good thing," he informed me, kissing my lips softly.

"I do have another question," I said, shyly.

"What is it?" the tone of his voice made it seem like he already knew what I was going to ask. He was still stroking my hair, soothing me.

"I was just wondering, if maybe you wanted to do it again, like right now?" I said.

His response was to begin kissing me. He covered my body with his and began pleasuring me once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the short chapter, I wanted to get one out this week, but haven't had much time to do so. I hope you guys enjoy it anyways :)

* * *

As the days passed, I realized I was running out of time. The longer I focused on the past, the farther it seemed to move away from me. My days were numbered and so were William's. Every second I was alone, I was practicing meditation or some other act to bring back memories. All my efforts ended in failure, causing me to become discouraged. I ended up dragging myself through the days, knowing my fate was sealed and I had to do what I could to make the last of my time with William worthwhile. I could potentially help him in the next life, though I wasn't sure how.

I began to think of different ways I could help him, such as keeping me locked away in a padded room passed my twenty-third birthday to save me from my imminent death.

The death that would force him to sleep for twenty-three years. I didn't want him to be a monster anymore. I was still unsure of feelings towards him. It was hard for me to give love to anyone due to losing my parents. I had been hesitant at sharing more than my physical being with him in fear this would all end in disaster and I would be left broken and alone again. We spent a lot of time together and everytime I felt us getting closer, I would pull myself back into the safety of my own mind. My love was not to be tampered with and he knew that.

"You were crying again last night," William interrupted my thoughts. I looked up from my book, turning my body towards him from my spot on the window sill, my favorite spot to be early in the morning.

"Was I?" is all I said, I knew I had been crying. I wanted to play it off like I hadn't been just to get him to leave it how it was. I didn't like talking about my emotions, especially with him. I had no control over myself in any way when I was with him.

"Is everything okay? I don't want to intrude, but you seemed especially upset," he pushed, slowly walking towards me.

I nodded, "I'm fine, just thinking about the future. Well the two days we have, I mean," the thought brought moisture to my eyes, which I tried to hold back.

He became visibly upset and settled down on the window sill next to me. He took my book, marked the page and set it down. In an instant, I was pulled into his lap where he held me for a few minutes. My heart began pounding wildly in my chest. He started laughing, "I love when you do that."

I looked up at his face, "Do what?"

"Whenever I'm near you, your heart beats very quickly, but not in fear. It's something else," he said, amused even more.

"Why do I get the feeling that you know what the 'something else' is? You keep hiding things from me and it's upsetting," I complained.

"I'm not hiding anything from you. It's you who won't stop hiding it from yourself," his words hit me in a way he didn't mean for them to. I began crying and curled myself farther into a ball in his lap. He held me tighter as I cried, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. Please forgive me."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, I'm obviously broken, I can't remember anything. I've tried, I sat here and tried, but nothing is coming to me. It's like it's not meant to happen," I cried out, "Maybe it's not supposed to happen, have you thought of that? Maybe we aren't meant to be together or maybe you have got the wrong girl!" I abruptly got up from his lap and went into the bedroom, locking myself in and throwing myself on the bed. I cried harder once I was alone. My tears were unforgiving, making my pain even worse than it was.

I heard the door handle slowly turned, then the whining of the metal breaking. "How many times are you going to break the handle? When I lock myself in here I want to be alone," I complained loudly.

"I can't let you be alone, you beat yourself up too much," he replied. He was next to me then, sitting on the edge of the bed. He didn't hug me this time, only stroked my hair, and sat giving me company as I cried, like he usually did. Even after I yelled at him, he stayed with me. He knew my pain too well, more than likely worse than I knew it. He had gone centuries trying to get me to remember my past with him with no luck. He was so close now, but the one thing holding him back was me.

The only indicator of any change in him has been in his appearance. He had begun to look more and more human every day. Subtle differences that he said he didn't notice, though I felt as if he did notice them. His skin was becoming much lighter in color and his demonic features were fading. He was beginning to look a lot like the man in the painting that hung solemnly above the bed. I even told him he looked handsome at one point, and his face lit up with joy. He even leaves less which brings me to believe he doesn't have to kill as much anymore, which made me full with happiness.

"I'm sorry that it's not working," I whispered once I stopped crying. "I've been trying very hard; I have worn myself down and feel as if I have no more energy. I can't keep trying for something that isn't going to happen."

He looked at me sadly then spoke, "Whatever time we have left, I want to spend it with you, please just see that. Even if we don't get passed this right now, I will never give up, I promise. I will wait however many years it takes. After all, I've already waited this long for you. I love you, and please don't forget that." I sighed, the time he had spent with me as of late was filled with me being sick to my stomach and crying.

I looked away from him nodding my head in response, thinking only one thing, "What if I do remember? What will happen?"

"I don't know, I'm guessing I will no longer look like this, he gestured to his body, "and return to my former self, but I have never thought about that. I have only thought about you. At this point, all I care about is you. My life is obsolete compared to yours," he rambled. I looked back up at him and caressed his face, slowly kissing him. He kissed me back, trailing his hand down my back and pulling me closer to him. He pulled away and said, "Now sleep, my Alice, you need it."

I agreed and laid back on the back, allowing him to scoop me up against him and cacoon me against him with his wings. The last thing I remember was his soft purring emanating from inside him.

*Dream*

The sky was dark, providing no light even from the full moon. Ahead of me, I saw endless fields of overgrown grass swaying in the wind. I twirled in every direction to find I was completely alone. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering from the freezing cold, and began walking towards a small light I saw in the distance. The walk seemed to drag on for ages, though when I finally arrived, I was not disappointed.

There sat William, staring at me with such intensity it made my heart jump. His demonic features sharper than ever in this moment and his skin was back to the dark grey. I examined him for a moment, confused as to why he was looking at me in such a way. His eyes were not of love, but of hate. "William, are you okay?" I stuttered out.

William did not respond, only stood in a flash and began walking towards me. I saw a glinting object in his hand and realized he held a knife. Fear washed over me. I used all of my strength to run away from him, used all my power to push myself forward. I ran for what seemed like miles, glancing over my shoulder every so often to find he was still in pursuit, walking at the same speed as before.

His eyes burned with more intensity now, I saw a need of hunger flash through them. He smelled the air, searching for the scent he most craved. In my fight to get away from him, I tripped, landing on my hands and knees. I tried to stand but was suddenly pinned by a huge form. I was flipped over, finding myself eye to eye with William, who was no longer _my_ William, but a monster.

I cried out, screaming in pain as he put more weight on me, digging his knee into my chest. "Stop, please, you are hurting me!" I said through the pain.

He ignored my pleas and flicked the knife up to my face, carving a perfect slice in my cheek, taunting me. Fear bubbled up inside me, causing me to scream in terror as he cut me. This didn't help, only caused him to look at me with more angst and hunger than before. He began smelling me deeply, making strange noises while doing so, as if he were getting pleasure from my scent. He focused on my abdomen, smelling more deeply there as I struggled trying to get away. Blood was pouring down my cheek, becoming a sticky mess on my neck.

"William, please," I pleaded again. I tried reaching my hands out to caress his face, only to have him pin my hands into the ground with the knife he was holding. The pain coursed through my body, leaving me sobbing uncontrollably. My hands pounded with sharp intensity at the knife stuck through them. I was in so much pain, I had so much fear.

I looked down at him to see him staring intently at my stomach, unmoving. He pulled another knife from his pocket, still entranced on my midsection. I thrashed about, causing for the knife in my hands to slice deeper. I wanted nothing more than to be free from this. His hand moved up towards my stomach and in a slow motion, he sliced deeply along my stomach. The pain was unbearable and my scream echoed through my ears.

With the pain coursing through my body and my blood loss, I became disoriented. I stopped crying and was having trouble breathing. My vision was blurred and I was unable to see what he was doing. I felt tugging in my midsection, then it was over.

Through the ringing in my ears, I heard a small wailing. It was quiet but took my entire focus. What was that?

The crying continued. As I was drifting in and out of consciousness, I looked down towards my stomach to see William holding a small demonic creature. A child?

_What the hell?_ I thought.

I was suddenly aware that my stomach was ballooned out and covered in large bruises. I stared in fear, not knowing why my stomach looked so ghastly. William looked up at me with a disgusted look and stood, walking away with the child and leaving me in the field, torn open and bleeding out. I couldn't find the strength to scream after him. I was slipping slowly into death. The wails of the child were fading and so was I. My heart began slowing and with my last breath, I muttered, "William, wait."

He never returned and I was alone, finally giving up my fight and letting death envelope me.

*End Dream*

I bolted up in bed, clutching my midsection. A gentle touch on my shoulder sent me into a panic and I quickly stood, losing my balance. I was caught before I hit the ground. My eyes flicked up to see William holding me cautiously. He was back to normal. His eyes were no longer filled with hunger but with love. I sighed in relief.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in my stomach, causing me to buckle over with cramps. William stood me up and sat me on the bed. "Are you okay?" he asked with much worry in his voice.

Through my labored breathing, I said, "Give me a minute." I felt sick to my stomach. I ran to the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet. William stood over me, holding my hair and stroking my back. Once I was done, I slowly stood up and brushed my teeth. All the while, William was staring at me with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"What is wrong?" he questioned.

"I don't know, I had a terrible dream and woke up sick," I replied, it suddenly rushed to me. What if my dream was true? What if I was pregnant? I had only been with William for less than twenty days, there was no way I was already experiencing the symptoms.

Then came the thought, _Can I even have kids with William? _

I got my emotions into check and stared at him, "It's over now, so I don't want to think about it. Hey, what are the chances I can go to a store and buy some stuff?" I wasn't sure if it were possible to be pregnant but I had to be certain.

He shook his head, "I can get it for you, what do you need?"

"Um, I really wish you would just let me get the stuff, please," I walked towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist, "It's not like I'm going to try to escape."

He pondered the idea for what seemed like an eternity and finally agreed, "Fine."

I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed him slowly, pulling away, I said, "Will you drive? I don't feel too well still."

He nodded and led the way to the car.

The drive was short, though most of the time I let my mind wander. I couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of being pregnant. Even if I was, we only had a little less than two days so it wasn't my biggest worry.

William pulled into a gas station, "Can you get stuff here? I'm sure it's just food." He flashed me a smile.

"Yeah, this is fine, I just need shampoo," I said, getting out of the car and walking into the gas station. The cashier eyed me as I came through the door. I wasn't sure what his problem was. He looked very greasy and was very overweight, I felt that he was going to give me trouble.

I walked through the short aisles and found what I needed. I grabbed the pink box and a small bottle of overpriced shampoo as well. I made my way up to the counter, setting my items down as I arrived.

The cashier greeted me nervously, "Good morning, did you find what you needed?"

I nodded, "Yes, thank you."

He fidgeted with the items before scanning them into the system. He told me the total and I handed him the cash. "What's your name?" he asked.

As he made my change, I replied, "Alice, and you?" I glanced towards the parking lot to see William smiling at me in the car.

"Oh, um, my name is Andrew," he smiled, handing me my change and bagging my items. "Well, it was nice meeting you, I hope to see you around."

"Sure," I said, exiting the store. I got to the car and climbed inside. William was laughing, though I was unsure why. "What's so funny?" I asked him.

"You are very beautiful," was all he said.

"Okay, how is that funny?" I pressed.

"The kid's reaction was just funny; did you not see how sexually aroused he was by your appearance? I mean, who could blame him?" he laughed.

I rolled my eyes, "Well, I wouldn't put it like that. Why are you so weird?"

He shrugged.

"Let's just get back," I said. He obliged and we drove back, and once again, I was lost in my thoughts.

We arrived at the house and I quickly bolted for the door. I had to hide what I bought before he could see what it was. I locked myself in the bathroom and hid it under the sink. I heard a light tapping on the door.

I opened it to see William standing there, "What, you aren't going to break anymore door handles today?"

He shook his head and said, "No, not today. Are you okay? You seem very distracted. Is there anything I can help with?"

"I'm fine, I am just still trying to shake off the jitters from my dream I had," I replied. "Can I get some privacy? Just for a few minutes? I have to use the bathroom."

He nodded and went to lay on the bed, closing his eyes and relaxing. It was good enough for me. I closed the bathroom door and locked it. I pulled out the pregnancy test, hoping that it would work. I wasn't sure if my certain circumstances affected it in any way. Not often is there a relationship like mine.

I pulled down my pants and underwear and sat down, removing the test from the package.

Once I was done, I set the test on the counter and began pacing, waiting for it to read. My heart was pounding wildly. I didn't want to be pregnant. If I was going to die in such a short amount of time, I didn't want to take my baby with me. I felt tears forming in my eyes at the thought, then I heard a small beep indicating the test was done processing.

I took a deep breath and leaned over the test. My heart dropped as I read the single word displayed on the small screen.

_Pregnant_.

"Shit," I said, grabbing it and tossing it into the trash where it wouldn't be found. What was I going to do? Sadness filled me, as I knew my baby wasn't going to survive. Then I thought of William. What was he going to think? Should I tell him? I wasn't sure how he would react to the discovery that I was pregnant. I wasn't even sure how it was possible. He wasn't human in any way. What would the baby be like? My mind flashed to the dream I had, showing me the small demonic creature that William tore out of me.

A wave of nausea hit me then and I buckled over retching into the toilet. I clutched my stomach and stood up slowly as to not lose my balance. I decided I had to tell him. I didn't want to be alone in this. I washed the tears from my face and rinsed out my mouth.

I paused at the door, second guessing my actions.

_No, you have to,_ I urged myself. I pushed the door open to see William still on the bed in the same position as I had left him. I still held my stomach as I walked over to him. He looked up at me and smiled. The smile made my stomach flutter.

I walked over to him and said, "Hey, can we talk?"

He leaned up to a sitting position and patted the bed next to him, inviting me to sit, which I gladly accepted. "What's wrong?" he asked, stroking my hair. It soothed me when he did this, my nerves became non-existent.

"So, I know we have been having a lot of sex, you know?" I said, unsure of how to tell him.

His eyes beamed with pride, "I know, what do you want more?" he had a sudden urgency in his eyes.

"No, it's fine, I just have something to tell you that has to do with sex," I said, hoping he would catch on.

"Go ahead," he pushed.

"Ok, well, I'm pregnant," I blurted out, looking down.

"That's not possible," he said, "I'm not able to produce children."

"How do you know that? I took a test and it came out positive, I'm pregnant," I argued, "It's not like it matters, I'm going to die tomorrow night anyways."

He grabbed me and held me in his arms as I began crying, "Maybe it was wrong?" he suggested.

"No, I know I am, I have been getting the symptoms and everything. That's why I've been getting sick," I explained, "Please, don't tell me I'm wrong because I'm not."

He held me tighter, crushing me to him, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

I leaned up and kissed him, showing him that I forgave him. I pulled away saying, "It's okay, I am just worried. I want so much to be with you forever. I want to share my life with you, I have been holding back all my emotions from you William. I'm tired of keeping you in the dark about how I feel and haven't even been able to admit it to myself. Now we have this," I gestured to my stomach, "and I don't know what to do."

He looked at me with intensity, "Just know that I love you, no matter what happens."

I stared into his eyes, losing myself. I felt a familiar emotion wash over me, pulling me in.

He looked at me hopefully, as if waiting for my response and finally, for the first time, I replied, "I love you."


End file.
